“FORWOOD”

“FORWOOD”

Wau, the birthplace of modern-day PNG forestry. The history of PNG Forestry is intrinsically linked to the development of the Bulolo Wau valleys gold fields and their natural stands of Araucarias. James Sinclair3 detailed the history of the Bulolo Wau goldfields.

In his article Forestry in Wau, TPNG forester Des Harries described Wau as the birthplace of TPNG Department of Forests (leading to the PNG Department of Forests and today the PNG National Forest Service) over eighty years ago. Wau was the first posting of TPNG’s first director “JB” James Bannister McAdam4 MM 1910-1959. His role was to undertake rehabilitation of the disturbed forest due to mining activities and establish plantations suffice to establish and maintain a viable forest industry.

Jim McAdam was a graduate of University of Queensland and Australian Forestry School. In 1932/33 he was dux winning the Schlick Medal. In 1934, he joined Queensland Forestry before joining TPNG Department of Forests. In 1938 he joined the TPNG administration and made Chief Forester in 1939 in Wau. In 1939, he commenced the Bulolo Wau land and forest timber rights puchases.5

By 1940, McAdam had established an experimental planting of hoop pine (Anderson’s plot) at Wau6, and a small planting7 of Pinus elliottii, Pinus taeda, Pinus kesiya, Agathis palmerstonii and other hardwoods. Mycorrhiza was furnished from innoculum brought from Beerwah Nursery of Qld State Forestry.

With the threat of war in the Pacific, McAdam enlisted in the Australian Military Forces on 19 September 1940 at Wau. He began full-time duty with the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles on 22 January 1942 and was promoted sergeant within a fortnight. After the Japanese invaded Salamaua in March, he led a party of scouts which established an observation post within a mile (1.6 km) of enemy positions.

L to R Geoff Archer (gold miner Wau), Jim Cavanaugh (forester) Jim McAdam (forester). Photo taken by war photographer Damien Parer in July 1942 just after the famous Salamaua raid. Photo

Credit Australian War Memorial. The intelligence which the team gathered was crucial to the success of the Australian raid on the town in June. McAdam acted as a guide in the foray. He was awarded the Military Medal for his outstanding service at Salamaua. From 1944/45 he was Lt Col 1 Aust CRE (New Guinea Forests). In 1946 he became Director of Forests TPNG.

3 James Sinclair 2019 ISBN 978-1-876561-15-4 “UP THE CREEK - Edie Creek and the Morobe Goldfields” Pictorial Press Corinda Qld. 4 PNGAF Mag # 3 of 3 Nov 2020. 5 Turia, R.C.H. 2005. Cannot See the Land for the Trees: the forest management dilemma in Papua New Guinea. Department of Human Geography, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Canberra, ANU. Doctoral Thesis. 6 Womersley J. S. & McAdam J B 1957. The Forests and Forest Conditions in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. TPNG Forest Service. Prepared for British Commonwealth Forestry Conference Australia 1957. 7 Smith JEN 1968 Exotic Softwoods Paper presented Dept of Forests PNG 1968. First Papua New Guinea Silvicultural Research Conference Bulolo. Reprint 1976.